Updates from our clinical networks

On 5 May, a train-the-trainer workshop on Person-Centered Rehabilitation Planning was delivered to 24 clinicians from rehabilitation services across the state. The in-person session provided attendees with resources to help them deliver the program locally.

Learn more or contact the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Network.

Almost 50 clinicians and icare workers from across NSW attended a recent Burn Rehabilitation Management two-day event.

A new topic, intimacy and sexuality following burn injury, was well received and will be included in future events.

Five burn survivors attended and shared their lived experience throughout rehabilitation and recovery. Positive feedback on this part of the event included comments like:

• “So incredible to hear the strength and resilience.”
• “Fantastic insight into the burns and hospital journey.”
• “Best part of the two days. Thank you.”

Learn more or contact the Burn Injury Network.

The Alcohol and Drug Cognitive Enhancement (ACE) program has won a NSW Health Award, in the Keeping People Healthy category.

This is a significant achievement, which recognises this highly successful project; the work of the network; and the importance of the drug and alcohol treatment sector.

The network thanks:

• the fifteen sites that took part in the study
• clinicians
• facilitators and site leads
• academic partners across four universities
• more than 520 clients who took part.

Read more about the ACE program and the NSW Health Award win in this issue of Clinician Connect.

Learn more or contact the Drug and Alcohol Network.

To coincide with National Palliative Care Week, 22-28 May, the network relaunched the Blueprint website with new tools and resources, such as:

• implementation tools to support the new Clinical Principles for End of Life and Palliative Care Guideline, including a new self-assessment tool and organisational models, to help health services improve end of life and palliative care delivery
• updates to the ten essential components tools and resources, as well as a new tool to support health services meet their accreditation requirements
• updated patient and carer resources
• a new animated video about using virtual care to deliver palliative care.

Learn more or contact the End of Life and Palliative Care Network.

Annual Paediatric Trauma Seminar

On 27 May, ITIM held the Annual Paediatric Trauma Seminar, in collaboration with the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network trauma services. The event was attended by Sydney-based clinicians from a range of disciplines, and also livestreamed to more than 150 more virtual attendees. Watch videos from the event on the ITIM website.

Workshops

ITIM held workshops with the trauma Patient Reported Measures Program pilot sites: Liverpool, Royal Prince Alfred and Wagga Wagga hospitals. The workshops are part of the ongoing preparation to transition to the statewide platform, Health Outcomes and Patient Experience (HOPE).

The three sites plan to go live in July. Three trauma service sites will then be onboarded to HOPE each quarter. Trauma PRMs is a priority program and will provide valuable insight into the outcomes of trauma patients in NSW.

Thank you to Glenn Sisson

Farewell and congratulations to Glenn Sisson, Manager of ITIM, on his new role as Stream Lead for Urgent and Intensive Care at the Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI). Glenn has dedicated a large part of his career to ITIM.

Glenn began his journey as an emergency nurse, started at the ACI as an education officer and has been ITIM Manager for three years. Glenn has been instrumental in implementing the NSW Trauma Outcomes Registry and Quality Evaluation, a patient reported measures and clinical quality register system and verification service for trauma services, allowing the trauma model of care to be further embedded.

Thank you, Glenn, for your contribution to ITIM. Kelly Dee has been appointed as Acting Manager for ITIM until permanent recruitment is finalised.

More about ITIM

The network hosted the first NSW Pain Service Electronic Persistent Pain Outcomes Collaborative (ePPOC) Benchmarking Workshop on 23 May. Representatives from 15 adult chronic pain services attended.

Representatives from the University of Wollongong, who collect and analyse the ePPOC data, presented the results. There was also an opportunity from those who achieved good results to share best practice. The Coffs Harbour pain service was the standout of the day.

The opportunity to network face-to-face with other services was positive, and many of the attendees said they had learnt something new that would add value and improve their service delivery.

Learn more or contact the Pain Management Network.

The network hosted the sixth Community of Practice for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), attended by more than 140 clinicians from across NSW.

The event included a three-hour workshop from the Summer Foundation, which focused on accommodation options for people being discharged from hospital. The importance of hospitals and the NDIS working together to reduce discharge delays was discussed. It is important for clinicians to have as much information and knowledge in this area to facilitate the process.

Learn more or contact the Rehabilitation Network.

Rural Health Network Executive Committee update

The Rural Health Network Executive Committee meeting was held on 9 June; in person for the first time since COVID-19. Attendees discussed the Health outcomes and access to health and hospital services in rural, regional and remote New South Wales inquiry findings to:

• identify where priority activities align with the Ministry of Health’s newly established Regional Health Division
• inform the future direction of the network.

There are two vacancies on the committee, click the role titles for more information and how to apply:

• Aboriginal Consumer Representative
• Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS) Representative.

Rural Health Network Newsletter

A monthly newsletter sent to Rural Health Network members includes network and Executive Committee updates, scholarly articles and upcoming events. Subscribe to the newsletter by joining the network.

Rural Innovations Changing Healthcare Forum

The 2022 Rural Innovations Changing Healthcare (RICH) Forum was a huge success with more than 280 participants attending throughout the day. Ruth Stewart, National Rural Health Commissioner, was the keynote speaker, eight projects were presented at the event and five poster presentations took place.

Ruth Stewart speaking at the RICH Forum

Farewell to Jenny Preece

The network recently celebrated the incredible career and contributions of Jenny Preece, Rural Health Network Manager. Jenny has retired after 10 years in the role and a career spent making an impact on healthcare in regional, rural and remote locations.

Jenny trained as a registered nurse at Royal North Shore Hospital, graduated in 1978 and started her first role in a surgical ward at Manly Hospital. Jenny went on to become a community nurse generalist and sole practitioner for more than 26 years in Dorrigo, in northern NSW.

In 2004, Jenny joined the Health Education and Training Institute, where she oversaw rural and remote projects. She joined the Agency for Clinical Innovation in 2012, establishing the Rural Health Network and the Rural Innovations Changing Healthcare (RICH) forum.

Congratulations to Jenny on such a fantastic career, we wish you all the best in retirement.

Learn more or contact the Rural Health Network.